Abstract
Oppression manifests itself in various ways, such that intersections between different forms of oppression can be identified. This is also true for women living in South Africa, a country that has for years been plagued by many forms of oppression (racism, sexism, classism, etc.). Women are, amidst various forms of oppression, often left with few alternative options but to bargain with various forms of gender relations as a means to obtain basic human rights (like education). Recent student protests have highlighted the discriminating ways in which black students are kept from obtaining higher education. The so called “maidens bursary”, awarded to underprivileged girls who vow to stay virgins throughout their studies, will be used as a case study that examines an alternative route to which underprivileged women may resort in order to obtain a quality education. The notion of patriarchal bargaining will then be used to illumine the often unrecognized, complex and interwoven relationship between subordination and agency/resistance that operates within the South African context.
Highlights
Maiden bursariesNews headlines were recently filled with outrage about the decision of the Uthukela District Municipality to introduce a new category of bursaries to matriculating girls
The maiden bursary is a special category that was awarded to 16 female virgins who vowed to abstain from sex and remain virgins for the duration of their studies
1 While this paper examines a particular manifestation of the value of virginity in the Zulu culture, namely, virginity testing for maiden bursary eligibility, it is worth acknowledging that many cultures, Western and non-Western alike, advocate a preference for virginity among unmarried women in other ways that are beyond the scope of this study
Summary
News headlines were recently filled with outrage about the decision of the Uthukela District Municipality to introduce a new category of bursaries to matriculating girls (eNCA 2016, Khoza 2016). The maiden bursary is a special category that was awarded to 16 female virgins who vowed to abstain from sex and remain virgins for the duration of their studies. If these women were to lose their virginity during this time, the bursaries would be withdrawn. Stander STJ 2016, Vol 2, No 2, 431–445 this category of bursary. According to her it serves to reward young women for staying “pure”. In an attempt to ensure the students’ purity, is a condition for the bursary to be awarded (eNCA 2016)
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